Pakistan court adjourns Mumbai attack trial till 25th March

Islamabad: For the second time in a row, a Pakistani anti-terrorism court holding the trial of seven accused in the Mumbai attack case on Wednesday adjourned the hearing till March 25 as the record of the case is still with the Islamabad High Court in connection with the government's plea against bail to the attack mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi.

"Today's proceedings of the case could not be held after the ATC Islamabad was informed that the record of the case was still with the IHC in connection with the government's plea against Lakhvi's bail," Prosecution chief Chaudhry Azhar told reporters after the hearing.

He said the court did not issue summons for more witnesses because of this reason.

As the next date for hearing of the government's plea for the cancellation of bail to LeT operations commander Lakhvi is on March 26, there is a possibility that the next hearing of the Mumbai attack case may be adjourned further without any proceedings.

Earlier, at least four hearings could not be held because of this reason.

The last hearing on March 11 was adjourned for the same reason. The trial has been underway in Pakistan since 2009.

Lakhvi and six others -– Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Hamad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jameel Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younis Anjum – have been charged with planning and executing the Mumbai attack in November, 2008 that left 166 people dead.

The 55-year-old Mumbai attack mastermind is currently in detention in Pakistan under a public security order. Lakhvi was detained last week before he could be released from jail following a court directive to set him free which had evoked a strong protest from India.